1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packaging machinery and more particularly to forming and transporting slugs of product by use of a vacuum.
2. Description of the Related Art
Serially produced product, such as cookies or crackers, lined up standing on end, front-to-back on a conveyor belt, needs to be formed into slugs for packaging. There are several problems associated with forming such slugs. If the product is front-to-back then a means for separating the product into uniform groups known as slugs, needs to be found which does not damage the product. The slugs must then be transported to the wrapping apparatus and wrapped, while maintaining the product in its front-to-back position.
In some packaging systems a product serially transported on a first conveyor belt is collected into slugs and transferred as rows of slugs to a second conveyor belt traveling perpendicularly to the first conveyor belt. This requires a 90 degree transfer of the slug's direction. Depending on the packaging methods, the slugs may have to be transferred again to a third conveyor belt perpendicular to the second conveyor for serial alignment of the slugs as required by some packaging machinery. Multiple handlings and orientations of product complicates the packaging process and damages the product.
In order to form slugs for a continuous line of incoming product, the product has to be stopped and a barrier introduced between slugs formed. The barrier must be inserted without impacting and damaging the product. The slug of product then needs to be pushed or otherwise moved out of the way for a new slug to be formed. The slug must be maintained with all product upright while being transported to the wrapping machine.